WASHINGTON, D.C.: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced a new grant program, ArtsHERE. The initiative will provide non-matching grants for organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to equity in their practices and programming.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring everyone in this nation has opportunities to live an artful life,” NEA chair Maria Rosario Jackson said in a statement. “ArtsHERE will make strides toward this goal with grants that will strengthen organizations’ efforts to advance inclusion and access to the arts. The program will make impacts in communities nationwide and will help us learn about how to best support work that is inclusive and accessible for all.”

The goal of ArtsHERE is to serve communities whose opportunities to experience the arts have been limited by factors such as geography, race and ethnicity, economic status, and disability. A 2017 NEA survey of public arts participation found that underserved communities continue to report lower arts participation than other groups. ArtsHERE, in collaboration with South Arts and other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, will award approximately 95 nonprofit organizations with grants of $65,000 to $130,000 for projects that strengthen and support engagement in underserved communities.

Selected grantees will be able to participate in peer-learning and technical assistance programs, as well as other knowledge-sharing initiatives. As a pilot program, the NEA will document and evaluate ArtsHERE to better understand how grantees approach the work and how funding programs may work in the future.

Applicants should propose a specific project for robust community engagement. An informational webinar for potential applicants will be held Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. EST, and registration is available online. The deadline to apply is Jan. 19, 2024.

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide. The NEA fosters and sustains an environment of public and private support for the arts to benefit everyone in the nation through equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice.